Macrolide compounds including macrocyclic lactones such as LL-F28249.alpha.-.lambda. compounds, 23-oxo or 23-imino derivatives of LL-F28249.alpha.-.lambda. compounds, milbemycin compounds such as milbemycin D and milbemycin oxime, avermectin compounds such as abamectin, ivermectin and doramectin, and mixtures thereof are useful for the prevention and control of helminthiasis and infection by acarids and arthropod endo- and ectoparasites in warm-blooded animals. Subcutaneous injection of aqueous compositions is one of the preferred methods for administering those compounds.
Vaccines are used to protect warm-blooded animals from a variety of diseases and are also administered by subcutaneous injection. However, a vaccine composition containing both a macrolide compound and antigens is not known. The primary reason for the lack of such a combination vaccine is due to the fact that aqueous injectable compositions of macrolide compounds contain dispersing agents which are known to interact with proteins and affect the permeability of the outer membrane of bacterial cells. Such interaction can denature or otherwise disrupt proteins such as antigens.
GB-A-2030043 describes injectable compositions which comprise tetramisole or its levorotatory isomer and a vaccine. However, that application does not disclose a combination vaccine which includes a complex macrolide compound. Further, that application does not describe the use of a dispersing agent, an important component in aqueous macrolide injectable compositions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide stable vaccine compositions comprising macrolide compounds and antigens. It is also an object to provide stable compositions of macrolide compounds in the absence of an antigen.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for preventing or controlling helminthiasis, infection by acarid and arthropod endo- and ectoparasites and bacterial and viral disease in warm-blooded animals.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of stable vaccine compositions.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description thereof set forth below.